Refrigeration



0ct..22, 1935. I I R. R. CANDOR REFRIGERATION Filed April 28, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ll Ill/l R. R. CANDOR REFRIGERATION Filed April 28, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES REFRIGERATION Robert .R. Candor, Dayton, Ohio, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to General Motors Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application April 28, 1932, Serial No. 608,026 10 Claims. 7 (Cl. 62127) This invention relates to refrigeration.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a refrigerating apparatus and method in which a refrigerant expander of the elongated orifice type is used, and in which means are provided for varying the cross-sectional area and the length of the orifice independently of each other without removing the expander from the system in order to control refrigeration characteristics of the system.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a refrigerating apparatus, partly diagrammatic and partly in cross-sectional area;

Fig. 2 is an end view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a slightly modified form of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is across-sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail of a portion of Figs. 1 or 3; and

Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken along the lines 66 of Fig. 5.

A refrigerating apparatus in accordance with t s invention comprises, in general, a refrigerant liquefying unit generally designated as 20 and a refrigerant evaporating unit generally designated as 2|. A refrigerant expander, generally designated as 22, is interposed between said units to expand the refrigerant passing from the liquefying unit to the evaporating unit. This type of expander may be used in a system in which the compressor is operated continuously at a constant speed and the condenser is subjected to temperature conditions substantially in accordance with the temperatures of the atmosphere surrounding the cabinet 23 in which the evaporating unit is placed. In this type of system the length and cross-section area of the refrigerant expander interposed between the con-' denser and evaporator are so calibrated that the heat infiltration into the cabinet and the capacity of the system are coordinated by the rate range regardless ofvariations in the temperature of the atmosphere surrounding the cabi-' orifice 21. ,This

application of Andrew A. Kucher, S; N. 599,239, filed March 16, 1932, for Refrigeration". The refrigerant expander 22 disclosed in this application may be used to calibrate such continuously operating refrigerating systems without re- 5 moving the expander from the system and even without stopping the compressor for the calibration and when a proper length and crosssection for an expander have been found for any particular system which maintain the proper temperature within the cabinet 2|, the expander'shown in this application may be removed from the system and a cheaper expander of similar length and cross-section but without any adjustable features maybe substituted for the one herein shown. An expander as shown in this application, however, may be used as a permanent fixture in the system without substitution and may be used as a temperature control to change the temperature conditions within the cabinet 2| either temporarily or permanently as desired. The expander herein disclosed may also be used with an intermittently operated refrigerating system in the same manner that an elongated orifice=oi the .fixed area or length type is used, and thus provides the additionaladvantages of adjustment.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the refrigerant from the condenser 23 flows through the pipe 24 to the inlet 25 of the expander 22 thereafter it flows through the chamber 26 to the portion 21 forming the elongated orifice of the system. From thence the expanded refrigerant is discharged through the outlet portion 28 to the pipe 29 leading to the evaporator 30 within the cabinet 2| and continues through the pipe 3| to the compressor 32 which is driven either continuously at a constant speed by means of the constant speed motor 33, or intermittently by control 01' the usual thermostatically responsive switch, not shown.

The cross-sectional area of the expander may be varied by causing the threaded member 40 to be moved axially without any substantial rotation, thus decreasing or increasing the orifice 21 between the edge of the thread 4| on the threaded member 40 and the edge of the thread 42 on the casing 43 of the expander. To this end a sleeve is placed in-threaded engagement with the member 4|! and is provided 50 with means for moving the sleeve axially of the device in order to vary the cross-section of the may be accomplished by providing a rotatable sleeve 45 having a threaded engagement with the continuation '46 of thecasthe area of 45 formed between the threads ing 43, the sleeve 44 also being connected by means of a bellows 41 with the casing 43. R0 tation of the member 45, which is rotationally free but axially locked with the sleeve 44, moves the sleeve 44 axially of the expansion device. The sleeve 44 is locked against rotation movement by the key 48 but is free to move axially because of the slot 49 in which the key 48 is fitted. The member 45 may be provided with a pointer 50 which, cooperating with the scale 5| on the flange 52, may be used to indicate the cross-sectional area of the passage 21.

The length of the elongated orifice 21 may be adjusted independently of the cross-sectional adjustment by rotating the member 40 so as not to disturb the cross-sectional area of the passage 21. To this end a threaded engagement is provided between the sleeve 44 and the member 40 at the thread 53. The pitch of the thread 53 and the spiral slot 54 in the sleeve 44 is identical with the pitch of the threads 4| and 42, so that movement along the slot 54 by the thread 53 causes the thread 4| to travel along the thread 42 but does not vary the distance between the edges of the threads 4| and 42. Thusthe area of the passage 21 is maintained substantially constant while its length is varied. To provide means for turning the threaded member 40, an extension is provided passing through the packing gland 6| and terminating in a combined turning lever and pointer 62. The scale 63 together with the pointer 52 may be used to indicate thelength of the elongated orifice 4| and 42 fractional turns being indicated on the face 64.

The cross-sectional area of the elongated orifice 21 may be varied by turning the member 45 without substantially varying the length of the elongated orifice 21, and that the length of the orifice 21 can be varied without substantially varying .its cross-sectional area by turning the member 4| by means of the lever 62 while maintaining the member 45 stationary;

Means for preventing the passage of refrigerant along both sides of the, thread 4| are provided. One or more followers 10 may be provided for this purpose along the length of the thread 42. Follower I0 may comprise a sub stantially rectangular block having springs to force the same both longitudinally and radially of the member 4|. For example, a spring II is provided which cooperates with a forces the block 10 axially of the member 4| while a spring 13 cooperates with a bead I4 to force the block I0 of the member 4|. The springs II and 13 may be held in place by means of a plate 15 welded or otherwise secured within the casing 43. The block 10 fits in sealing relation to the faces 16 and 11 of against the faces 19 and of the member 4|.

In the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the length of the elongated orifice 21a is varied substantially the same as in Fig. 1 by the rotation of the lever indicator 62a. cooperating with the Scale 630. in the same manner heretofore described. The cross-sectional area, however, is varied by causing the sleeve 44a. to be rotated without any axial movement. To this end means are provided for locking the member Ma and the sleeve 44a so that both the sleeve 44a and the member 4|a may be rotated together without axial movement of either, thus causing a change in the cross-sectional area of the orifice 21a without changing its length. This is accomplished by providing a stationary clutch and bead 12 and.

' ated in the same manner the slot 18 and a rotating clutch 9| for the sleeve 44a, said clutches being provided with suitable frictional surfaces, such as knurled or toothed surfaces. By disengaging the clutch 90 and enga i the clutch 9| between the member Ma and the sleeve 44a, the sleeve 44a is caused to rotate with the member 4|a. Means for actuating clutches 90 and 9| comprises a loose disk 92 adapted to actuate the clutches 90 and 9|, the disk 92 being provided with extensions. 93 which are actuated by means of push rods 94 provided with manipulating surfaces 95 and sealing bellows 96. By actuating the push rods 94 to the right of Fig. 3 the clutches 90 and 9| are also moved to the right, the clutch 90 disengaging the sleeve 44a and the clutch 9| engaging the sleeve 44a androtating with the member 4|a, since the clutch 9| has a slot and key engagement with the member 4|a. as indicated at 91. This movement of the clutches permits the member M0, to be turned by the lever 62a, together with the sleeve 21a.

The length of the orifice 21a can be varied independently of the cross-section by releasing the push rods 94 and by turning the pointer lever 52a. The release of the push rods 94 causes the spring 98 to move the clutch 90 into engagement with the sleeve 44a. Since the clutch 90 is in slot and key engagement with the casing 43a as shown at 99, this action locks the sleeve 44a against rotational movement. The clutch 9| having moved to the left, the member 4|a is free to be rotated relatively to the sleeve 44a and tochange the length of the orifice 21a in the same manner as described with respect to Fig. 1. The sleeve 44a is prevented from moving axially but is permitted to rotate when declutched because of the flange I00 which permits a rotational movement and prevents an axial movement, the flange I00 being keyed to the sleeve 44a.

The sleeve 44a is provided with a pointer |0| which may be observed through the window I02 to indicate on a suitable scale, etched on the glass I02, the cross-sectional area of the orifice 21a. The refrigerant enters through the inlet 25a and passes out through the outlet 28a, first passing through the passage I03 and thence through the orifice 21a. Other features heretofore described with respect to Fig. 1 are also provided in Fig. 3. The follower 10a is actuas described with respect to Figs. 1, 5 and 6. Sealing gland 6|a is provided for the extension 60a in the same manner.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. An expander for a refrigerating system or the like comprising means forming an elongated orifice for the expansion of refrigerant, and means for varying the transverse cross-sectional area and the length of said orifice to vary the flow of refrigerant through said orifice.

2. An expander for a refrigerating system or o the like comprising means forming an elongated orifice for the expansion of refrigerant, and means for varying the cross-sectional area and the length of said orifice to vary the flow of refrigerant through said orifice, the variation in cross-sectional area being substantially independent of the variation in length.

3. The method of refrigeration of an article to be cooled which comprises circulating a refrigerant in a closed cycle through a compressing zone, a condensing zone, an expansion zone of definite length and cross-sectional area and an evaporating zone, and independently varying the length and cross-sectional area of said expansion zone to coordinate the circulation of refrigerant with the heat accumulation of said article to be cooled.

4. The method of refrigeration of an article to be cooled which comprises continuously circulating a refrigerant in a closed cycle through a compressing zone, a condensing zone, an expansion zone of definite length and cross-sectional area and an evaporating zone, and independently varying the length and cross-sectional area of said expansion zone to coordinate the circulation of refrigerant with the heat accumulation of said article to be cooled.

5. An expander for a refrigerating system or the like comprising means forming a helical elongated orifice for the expansion of refrigerant, and means for varying the transverse crosssectional area and the length of said orifice to vary the flow of. refrigerant through said orifice.

6. An expander for a refrigerating system or the like comprising means forming a helical elongated orifice for the expansion of refrigerant, and means for varying the cross-sectional area and the length of said orifice to vary the flow of refrigerant through said orifice, the variation in cross-sectional area being substantially independent of the variation in length.

7. An expander for a refrigerating system or the like comprising telescoping inner and outer members forming an elongated orifice between them, and means for varying the cross-sectional area and the length of said orifice to vary the fiow of refrigerant through said orifice, the variation in cross-sectional area being substantially independent of the variation in length.

8. An expander for a refrigerating system or the like comprising telescoping inner and outer members forming a helical elongated orifice between them, and means for varying the crosssectional area and the length of said orifice to vary the flow of refrigerant through said orifice, the variation in cross-sectional area being substantially independent of the variation in length.

9. An expander for a refrigerating system or the like comprising telescoping inner and outer cylindrical members at least one of said members having a groove forming an elongated orifice between them, and means for varying the cross-sectional area and the length of said orifice to vary the flow of refrigerant through said orifice, the variation in cross-sectional area becross-sectional area and the length of said orifice to vary the flow of refrigerant through said orifice, the variation in cross-sectional area being substantially independent of the variation in length.

' ROBERT R. CANDOR. 

